unfair floating!!

renerian, BSN, RN · Oct 24, 2002

Your post reminds me of something that happened to me when I was a new grad. I had to float and someone who was on the schedule as an extra was not needed so instead of canceling or floating the extra person I was floated.....I only like floating the the burn unit/I worked hem/onc/bmt. Everywhere I felt like a fish out of water. Very few people like to float. Let us know how your super responds to your letter?

renerian

OBNURSEHEATHER · Oct 24, 2002

Yeah, floating sucks, but we all do it. On my unit, we do it by dates, so I very well may be floated somewhere while a per diem person sits pretty on the assignment I had the day before.

We're in the process of trying to change the policy, so per diems float first, get called off first, etc.

Good luck with your letter!

Heather

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Oct 24, 2002

Our nursing senate finally set some guidelines on floating for us.

1. All OT and ET is to be cancelled before floating. The person on OT and ET will be offered the opportunity to float first before being cancelled. If that nurse says no, then she/he is cancelled.

2. PRN floats first, then regular staff. Refer to float book on your unit.

We go by dates also. We never have anyone on OT if we are floating.

We don't call off our PRN's first...they have a contract to work so many hours. We offer regular staff PTO time first, if no one wants it, then the PRN person will be cancelled. They are always the first to float as they are hired into the Maternal Child Pool.

nursegoodguy · Oct 24, 2002

Definitely I would complain that Whomever was deciding this was not being fair and would ask what sort of system they used to determine who got floated!

No matter what my experience has always been that if they are short they will sacrifice whomever for coverage!

dawngloves, BSN, RN · Oct 24, 2002

I hate when that happens in the middle of a weekend! I would have said something. That was thoughtless of the charge nurse. Maybe they didn't realize?

Pamelita · Oct 26, 2002

hi again!

well, after sending letters to all the "top dogs of the hospital"

I got another letter, stating that my claim was supported, because YES scheduale staff SHOULD NOT float first! I knew I had all the right to complain because it was not fair.

Now, my charge nurse is going to hate me because they probably talked to her. I don't mind floating, if its my turn, because we do have a float log, but if somebody is doing overtime hell no I am not floating again.

Small hospitals suck, there is so much gossip and favoritism, I need to get out of there.

thanks guys, take care

Pam

OBNURSEHEATHER · Oct 26, 2002

Originally posted by Pamelita
Small hospitals suck, there is so much gossip and favoritism, I need to get out of there.

(ppst... big hospitals are like that too, just on a bigger scale!)

But anyways, CONGRATS! See where a little follow-through gets you!

Heather

traumarns · Oct 26, 2002

we have a strange float policy, it correlates with bonus shifts.

we get so much extra money if we sign up for extra shifts,/hours it averages out to 10 dollars extra per hour. $40 for 4hrs $60 for 6hrs and $120 for 12 hrs.

we get that money regardless if we are needed. if we sign up for a bonus shift and get put on call and get called in, no matter how many hrs we are there we get time and a half for that many hrs we work. same with if we are scheduled and get put on call.

ok, if we work our bonus shift, that counts as a float day.

if the icu does not need us and tele, or bmt needs us, (those are the only places we float to) and there are no travelers on, we are asked if we would float. if we say no, then we lose the bonus money.

it rarely happens.

the other thing, travelers ALWAYS float first. regardless whether it is their turn or not.

when only reg. staff is on, and we are overstaffed enough to have at least one person on call. we take turns floating.

they wont float us if we do not have one or two admit spots.

rarely do we actually float, but it does happen.

I am actually looking forward to floating. it will give me a chance to meet other people in the hospital.

MollyMo · Oct 29, 2002

Our policy is that agency/pool/travelers float first, then regular staff. Charge nurses don't float. So, if you're scheduled in charge and it's your turn, the next person on the list has to go. So my situation is this--I am pool. I usually am in charge when I work. It was the same when I was a traveler on this unit. We have 2 full time employees. One only works Fri/Sat/Sun. The other had been on medical leave. He made out his October schedule back in September before he got sick. He wasn't scheduled to work one Monday,but was released by his doctor to return to work. Sonia and I were scheduled. The supervisor told this guy that he would work our unit and somebody would float to CVICU. Sonia was in charge, so she wasn't counted. That left me. I told the supervisor that I was scheduled to work and I wasn't floating. The supervisor tried to tell me that the male nurse was written in. I told him I didn't care. The October schedule came out on Sept 9th and his name wasn't on it. If he wanted his hours he could float, but I wouldn't. The supervisor said" whatever you want to do, guys." The male nurse came in and was told that he would have to float. He said he was told that he was working our unit and if he wasn't needed he was going home. I told him goodbye and said talk to the supervisor before you go. I told him I was scheduled to work, I had taken report and done the assessments by the time he came in( he was and hour and a half late.) He finally went to CVICU after blowing a lot of hot air.